


In His Skin

by Entwinedlove



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: AU - James and Teddy are about the same age in this, Character Death, Dark, Gen, Sociopath!Teddy, Stolen Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 10:59:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19766803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Entwinedlove/pseuds/Entwinedlove
Summary: Teddy has a secret. It's buried in his grave.





	In His Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Fairest of the Rare facebook group for the 1k member celebratory drabble challenge.  
> Prompt: Stolen Identity

It started in Hogwarts. James would want to spend the afternoon reading in the Gryffindor tower so Teddy would shift into James and spend the afternoon regaling his groupies with stories about famous Harry Potter. Teddy always put on a show for James, dropping his shoulders and acting entirely put-upon for having to cover for him in this way. Secretly, Teddy loved it. He loved getting all of the attention of so many people when he was playing James. It was so much more than when he was himself. Yeah, he got a bit when he acted out or for his Metamorphmagus abilities—which were old hat these days and fewer people noticed or cared. No, James was famous just for being Harry's son. "Godson" didn't count.

This little game of Teddy playing James continued when they joined the Aurors together. Sometimes James just didn't want to do his paperwork, so as an excuse to slip into James's skin for a while, Teddy would offer to do it. Even if he wasn't getting all the attention of the groupies, sitting at James's desk writing up his reports made him feel powerful and seen in a way that Teddy Lupin just wasn't.

The only person who could really tell them apart was Harry himself. Half the time he was so busy as Head Auror that he didn't notice for hours. Teddy liked to see how long he could go without Harry realizing he wasn't James. The record had been four and a half days before this.

Teddy hadn't planned it, no matter what anyone might say if they found out. It was standard to have a Polyjuice Potion on one's person as an Auror, as well as healing potions, of course. But this was the perfect opportunity. He and James had been out on a mission and James got hit with a Dark Spell.

He was dying.

Teddy was quick to grab the potions out of his kit. He paused to look at the two vials. One could save James's life... the other... He yanked a few strands of his hair out of his head and added it to the potion. "Here, James, drink."

James drank. Within seconds, the pain of the forced transformation started. "Teddy? What—?" James's words were strained and more blood gushed from the wound in his belly as the Polyjuice worked its way down his body.

As James transformed into Teddy—pain and confusion in his dying eyes—Teddy shifted into James one final time.


End file.
